Dunn’s Sporting Goods was founded in Salem, MO in 1958 by George and Mary Dunn. They ran the business for three years in Salem, and then moved to Pevely, MO in 1961. In the early years, the business was retail and wholesale.
In 1978, George and Mary opened another retail location in Florissant, MO with Dean Dunn as the store manager. In 1980, a retail store in Marion, IL was opened with Dennis Dunn as the store manager. The business started to focus more on retail instead of wholesale during this period.
In 1987, the Pevely location burned down. The new store was rebuilt in the same location. During the 1990’s Dunn’s opened locations in Paducah, KY and St. Charles, MO. The Pevely and Marion locations are the only two that remain open.
Dunn’s has always been family owned and operated. George and Mary had nine kids, six boys and three girls. Of the nine, three boys, Dennis, Dean, and Steve remain at the family business.